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Need a massage? Sage Pullman knows her stuff! Give her a call at 801-510-9867, you muscles will thank you! Regular massage has made a world of difference for me. Thank you Sage!

Be a “Coachable” Athlete

By Coach Lora Erickson, BlondeRunner.com

So, what does it take to be a coachable athlete?  As with most coaches, I don’t always work with all the athletes that want to hire me.  To be a good coach it is very time-consuming, so I am very selective when it comes to accepting athletes that I will work with for a long period of time or are accepted onto my team (Team Blonde Runner – TBR).  There are several main qualities I look for when I choose to work with an athlete.  Here are some general rules to follow when working with a coach:

Be Willing to Listen

As a coach it is important to me to work with athletes that are willing to listen to suggestions and accept advice. There is nothing more frustration than trying to teach a “know-it-all-athlete” that is just too stubborn and proud to learn.  This defeats the purpose of hiring a coach. Often coaches are accomplished athletes themselves, so be willing to listen and learn.  Their advice will most likely help you reach your full potential a lot faster than you might have on your own.  Keep in mind; most world class athletes have a coach.

Do the Work & Trust Your Coach

Coaches will often see potential in athletes that they don’t see themselves.  So if a coach decides to take the time to train you, you should be willing to do the work.  As an athlete in high school I remember not always understanding exactly why my coaches had me do certain workouts.  I simply did the work without “second guessing” them, and you know what, it worked.  I got faster and faster.  Running in college and over the years I have come to an in-depth understanding of training and exercise physiology.  This didn’t happen over night, it happened over 26 years.  It’s often hard for a coach to impart in a short period of time what they have learned through years of experience.  The athletes that just trust their coach and stick to their training schedule often excel far more than the athletes that “second guess” every workout and try to do their own thing believing they are somehow making it better.  This usually leads to overtraining and injury.  On occasion I will get an athlete that can’t decide whose advice to follow; their husband’s, family, friend’s etc.  Trust your coach and allow them to guide and help you.  Sometimes you may not understand every reason behind every workout but a good coach will offer the “outside” perspective to help maximize your potential.  Coaches can also offer the support and the “cheerleading” needed to boost your confidence.

Have a Desire to Learn

It is absolutely delightful to work with athletes that are really engaged in the sport and are “hungry” to learn.  I love it when an athlete comes to practice with lots of questions and is ready to soak up any new advice or tips to improve their training.  This also shows that you respect the coaches’ opinion.  This allows the coach to assess your understanding and what concepts you are struggling to learn.  I have often scheduled additional clinics based on my athlete’s particular needs at the time.

Communicate Effectively

I highly value communication and love to work with athletes that keep in touch with me on a regular basis.  I want my athletes to share their daily successes; their workout highs and lows, goals and racing pitfalls, so we can work together to improve and achieve success.  Reporting how a workout goes allows a coach to adapt training schedules to better meet the needs of an athlete.  With me, the “squeaky wheel gets the oil.”  I can help the athlete that communicates with me better because they simply give me more information to give them feedback on.  To me, a high level of communication indicates that an athlete is ready to be coached.

Show Gratitude

I always appreciate working with athletes that understand that I am a person, an athlete and mother as well.  As I mentioned before, coaching is time consuming and is often something that lends itself to odd non-ending work hours.  Coaches often take time away from their own training and family to help others and are willing to share their expertise.  So when a coach takes the time to talk over the phone with you or message you training advice outside of practice hours, please show your appreciation.  As individual athletes we are consumed with our own training needs and often don’t take our coaches’ needs into consideration.  Coaches often work with many athletes at one-time and several 30 minute conversation with various athletes each day can add up quickly and fill their day. A sincere public and private “thank you” for the time and effort a coach gives you is always appreciated.

To be Coached is a Privilege

Coaching fees aside, coaches can only work with so many athletes.  They only have a certain number of hours in a day to coach so there are limited spots.  I have been privileged enough to participate on many teams and work with many coaches over the years.   I think it is fair to say that I have learned what to expect from a coach.  As a coach myself that often works with beginners, I find that many people don’t really understand what a privilege it is to work with a coach.  It is truly wonderful to find someone that is so willing to take the time to teach others what it has often taken them years to learn.  Over the 26 years that I have competed & coached, I have learned a lot.  I especially love to coach and teach people that understand the value of being coached and treat me with respect.  Not all accomplished athletes are willing to teach others what they know.  It’s also important to remember that not every good athlete is necessarily a great coach.  Choose a coach that has a true passion for coaching so you can be sure they understand how to teach you.  And remember that all good coaches don’t take every athlete that wants to hire them.

Value Customize Training

On-line programs are a dime-a-dozen and can provide some needed structure, however there is nothing that can replace live in-person coaching.  Even on-line coaching with a real person/coach is much better than a general one-size-fits-all program.  Simply put, we are not all the same and a training schedule should be adapted and changed for each individual.  There are very few, if any, athletes that can stick to a training schedule and not have to adapt something.  A rigid schedule does not allow for an unplanned “please-join-me-race” or account for illness or unexpected family difficulties that alter training.  A real-live coach can adapt your training for these needs and customize lactate threshold and/or speed work training sessions as well as develop customized racing nutrition plans.  They can also assess form and technique flaws and suggest improvements.

Beginners Should Hire a Coach if Possible

There is a common misconception that if an athlete is “slow” they don’t need a coach or that only “advanced” athletes need a coach.  That could not be farther from the truth.  Most “slow” athletes need coaching the most.  They often don’t have the knowledge needed to get faster or train safely.  I particularly love to work with beginners and have coached many “average” athletes to the top of the podium after having help to develop the “advanced athlete” I saw in them.  As I have said before, a good coach will see you for your potential.  There is nothing more rewarding to a coach than seeing an athlete reach his or her true potential!

Happy Training,

Coach Lora Erickson

“Blonde Runner”

 

Coach Lora Erickson is a competitive runner and nationally ranked triathlete with over 26 years of athletic experience. As one of Colorado’s top distance runners, she was recruited to Utah State University where she ran on scholarship and was honored as an all-conference runner graduating with a degree in Health Education with dual minors in Nutrition & Chemistry.  She is the owner of Blonde Runner Health LLC in Bountiful, Utah where she currently resides with her husband and four children. Lora has a true passion for health promotion, her enthusiasm is contagious.  As a USATF certified coach, Lora works with individuals as well as offering group/team training programs and various community classes. To learn more visit www.BlondeRunner.com or contact her directly at lora@blondedrunner.com. 

Enter to win a free entry in the Race For Grief event

WINNER!!

Enter to win a free entry in the 2012 Race For Grief event.

Visit Blonde Runner Health on Facebook to learn more. http://www.facebook.com/BlondeRunnerHealth

(contest ends Friday May 11, 2012 at noon)

Product Review: Lock Laces (elastic shoe laces)

Elastic laces are one of those things I wish I had known about at my first triathlon. These little gems make transitions super quick. Literally they can shave a minute or more off your transition times! With elastic laces you can just slip on your shoes without having to tie them and there is no risk of them untying during your event. Besides if your hands are cold from the open water it’s really hard to get your hands working enough to tie your shoes anyway. When ever I lecture at a triathlon clinic I like to tell everyone about these great laces and they are really inexpensive. You can even order them on-line and they have a lot of colors to choose from. They are also easy to put in.  Click here to purchase some

Set your sails and stay your course

I am the captain of my fate, I am the master of my destiny.

I will set my sails and stay my course.

http://www.facebook.com/BlondeRunnerHealth

Run the HOMM: Herriman Oquirrh Mountain Marathon – May 19, 2012

Herriman Oquirrh Mountain Marathon (HOMM)

5 Amazing Races

May 19, 2012

 

Run the “HOMM”.  Blonde Runner is a proud sponsor of The Herriman Oquirrh Mountian Marathon (HOMM).  It’s coming up soon so join in the fun of this inaugural event on May 19, 2012.  They have 5 Amazing Races to choose from.

 

5K Fun Run

Half Marathon

Full Marathon

Trail Half on Friday

Oquirrhman Challenge

 

Check out the Oquirrhman Challenge – it’s like the Goofy Challenge.  You run the trial half on Friday and the Full on Saturday (40.5 miles).  The race starts at the top of the Oquirrh Mountains running down the Butterfield Canyon and could soon become the fastest marathon course in Utah.  To learn more visit http://www.thehomm.com/

 

 

 

Volunteers Needed

Help!? We are still looking for more dependable volunteers for the Rec Center Triathlon on May 12th? If you can help out or you know someone that would please message me at lora@blonderunner.com with your contact info and shirt size.  Without volunteers, races could not happen.  http://blonderunner.com/2012/03/splash-%E2%80%98n-sprint-triathlon-at-the-south-davis-recreation-center/

Exercise Can Help You Cope with Grief

Exercise Can Help You Cope with Grief

By Lora Erickson, BlondeRunner.com

Just over thirteen years ago I lost a baby girl.  Her name was Samantha.  She was simply born too early and died only living for five short hours.  That was a difficult time for me and my husband as it was our first pregnancy and we had hopes of raising a family.  As a long time runner, I found that I coped best with the loss and pain by running.  It gave me time to think about my experience and sort out my feelings.  It’s difficult to describe the pain you go through with this sort of loss to someone that has not experienced the grief of a little one and the hopes and the dreams for that child as they disappear never to be fully realized.  Death can be so final and no matter how much we want that little one sometimes we just can’t have them now.  For most the grieving process is a life-long journey of coping and despite what people may say, it’s nothing you “get over,” it simply is something you learn to live with.  For me, I tend to believe we have experience in our lives to teach us something; to help us in some way.  I can tell you that the experience I have when through and the long road I have traveled to bring four other children in this world has taught me a lot.  It has taught me to appreciate those little ones that much more.  It has helped me have sympathy for others who have experienced this grief.  It has helped me appreciate the miraculous gift of life and appreciate my body.  The human body is amazing and I am so thrilled that I have the opportunity to swim, bike, run and be fit everyday.  After my first loss I immediately got pregnant again as soon as I got the go ahead from the doctor.  There was a lot of worry and stress that went along with that pregnancy but the most difficult thing I have ever experienced was the 10 weeks of flat-on-my back bed rest.  Yes, it was more difficult than a marathon or completing an Xterra triathlon.  It was rough for me not to be able to get up and take a shower when I wanted to, or cook for myself.  But the most difficult thing for me was not being able to exercise and run.  Running helped me manage stress and at the time I was experiencing a lot of stress.  So, somehow I learned to cope.  I learned to try to look at the positives of the experience; I was still pregnant.   I could get pregnant.  I was able to experience the joy that every soon-to-be-mother feels when she experiences movement from the life inside of her.  All these years later I am now back to my before-pregnancy-life where I can run and exercise like I would like to.  I love it!  I love to be fit and enjoy taking care of my body and exercise.  I love to be able to cope with everyday stress on a run and feel my mind clear.  I often think of Samantha on my runs.  As I said before when you experience a loss, you never “get over it.” You learn to live with it.  You get to a point where you don’t feel guilty for being happy anymore.  There are still bad days when I cry and change my schedule to just reserve the day to thinking of her and count my blessing, but for the most part I don’t want her to ever be forgotten by others.  When I was holding her in my arms for the final moments of her life carefully placing my index finger over her heart to make sure she was still with me, I made her a promise.  I promised my little Samantha that I would never forget her and I never will.  I want to honor her memory and all those little ones that have passed on too early.  This is why I have created the Race For Grief 10 K run & 2 mile walk event to be held June 30, 2012 at West Bountiful Park.  Registration is available on active.com.  Last year was the first year the event was held and it proved to be a wonderful experience for my family and for many families and friends that want to honor their little one and help others.  Please join us for this charity event raising funds for the Utah SHARE and Caring Connections programs.  To learn more visit www.RaceForGrief10k.com. In loving memory of Samantha.  You touched my life, I will never forget you.  Love Mom.

To learn more about Lora’s story, what to say and incompetent cervix visit http://blonderunner.com/2009/11/coping-with-grief-and-loss/

View a video clip of the 2011 event:  http://youtu.be/qHzBESvMIBI

Register for the event on active.com:  http://www.active.com/running/west-bountiful-ut/race-for-grief-10k-2012

A Seeds of Remembrance: Take Your Grief and Run with It presentation will be held at the University of Utah College of Nursing, Annette Poulson Cumming Building, 10 South 2000 East on the University of Utah Campus, on Tuesday May 15, 2012 at 7 p.m.  Lora Erickson will be one of the featured presenters along with four others who will be sharing their stories.  This event is free and is open to the public.  Refreshments will be served.

May 2012 is National Bike Month

May 2012 is National Bike Month. Bike to school May 9 Bike to work week May 14-18 Bike to work day May 18 Get involved. Get fit. Coach Lora Erickson www.BlondeRunner.com

Marathon training article in the Deseret News by Coach Lora

Look for my First-time marathoner?  Here are 3 tips for training article in the Deseret News today. – Coach Lora Erickson “Blonde Runner”

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